Door locking and releasing mechanism.



G. B. DOREY.

DOOR LOCKING AND RELEASING MECHANISM.

APPLICAT'DN FILED DEC- 4, 1915- l,214,285. Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET WITNESSES n4: NnRRls PEYERS ca. Puomumm, WASNING min a c.

G. B. DOREY.

DOOR LOCKING AND RELEASING MECHANISM.

APPEICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1915. 1,214,285. Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

I 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2' zzl W/T/VESSES G. B. DOREY.

DOOR LOCKING AND RELEASING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 19I5. 1,21%,25. Patented Jan.80,1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

w: NURR'IS PETERS ca. mane-ma. WASNING mu :1 c

GEORGE BINET DOREY, 01-1 MONTREAL,

BALLAST GAR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

QUEBEC, CANADA, ASSIGNOR T9 BGDGEB ILLINOIS, A CORPGRAIION F MAINE.

DOOR LOCKING AND RELEASING MECHANI$1VL misses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 39., 191?.

Application filed December 4, 1915. Serial No. 65,148.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE BINET DOREY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Locking and Releasing Mechanism, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to cars having swinging dump doors and appertains particularly to mechanism for operating and locking such doors. In cars of the identified type a difliculty experienced has been the exposure of the door locking mechanism to the material discharged from the car when the doors are open, such exposure resulting in the clogging of the mechanism or in damage to same and an object of this invention is to protect the door locking mechanism against any damage which might result from its exposure to the discharging material.

Another object is to provide an improved door locking mechanism applicable to side discharge ballast cars.

Another object is to provide means for automatically releasing dump door locking mechanism upon the entry of a plow to a car.

A further object is to provide a dump door locking mechanism which is operated by fluid pressure.

Further objects and advantages will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

For full comprehension, however, of my invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which similar reference characters indicate the same parts and wherein Figure 1 is an end view partly in section on line er-A Fig. 2, of a car and 'illustrating my improved door locking mechanism; Fig. is a plan view of one end of the car partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a perspective, partly broken away, of one corner of the car, and Fig. 1 is a perspective illustrating a modification.

The car a portion of which is shown by the drawings, consists of the underframe including cross-bearers 2 and side-sills 3; side stakes 4 secured to the side-sills in part by means of vertical gussets 5 disposed longitudinally of the car, top rail 6 supported by the stakes and side doors 7 hinged to the top-rail between the stakes and adapted to swing outwardly to permit of the discharge of material from the car, my improved operating mechanism being illustrated and described in connection with side dump doors by way of example.

The floor of the car is spaced from the sides of the underframe, and, between the stakes, is inclined downwardly and outwardly as at 8 to the side sill, this construction and the particular stake construction shown not being herein claimed as they form part of a separate application filed by myself on June 11, 1914: under Serial No. 844,524.

The doors are locked in their closed position by means of shafts 9 carried independently of and on the outside of the stakes by arms 10 which are accommodated between the inclined floor portions 8 and extend inwardly through elongated vertical slots 11 in the gussets 5. The arms 10 are rigidly mounted upon shafts 12 rotatably supported by the diaphragms 2 of the cross-bearers and rotated preferably by steam or compressed air, being connected by links 13 to the pistons 14 of cylinders 15 which are disposed transversely of the car near the sides of the latter and communicate with supply pipes 16 and 17 respectively.

There is preferably one cylinder at each side of the car for the operation of the locking shaft 9 at each side, the inner ends of the cylinders of the car being connected to supply pipe 16 (connected to a suitably placed reservoir not shown) by branch pipes 18 and the outer ends of the cylinders to supply pipe 17 (connected to a suitably placed reservoir not shown) preferably by means of a branch pipe 19 which communicates with the outer end of the cylinder at one side of the car and has a branch 20 extending to the outer end of the other cylinder so that the supply of fluid pressure to both cylinders can be simultaneously controlled through the medium of this pipe.

The admission, through train pipe 16, of fluid ressure to the inner ends of the cylinders forces pistons 14 outwardly, moves the arms upwardly and swings the shafts 9 into engagement with the door as illustrated in full lines Fig. 1, while admission, through train pipe 17, of fluid pressure to the outer ends of the cylinders, forces the pistons inwardly, moves arms 10 downwardly and swings theshaft's out of,

locking engagement with the doors as illustrated in dotted lines Fig. 1, the outer sur-' faces-of the stakes being tapered or beveled at the bottom at 21 to accommodate the movement of the lockingshafts 9.

Although the passage through pipe 16* may be controlled and the door locking movement effected from the cab of the engineor in any other preferred manner, it is desired to control the fluid supply from pipe 17 and release the'side doors automatically upon the entrance of a plow and for this reason a valve 22 is set in pipe 19 to control the admission offiuid pressure from the pipe 17 thereto and so to the outer ends of the cylinders, such valve being adapted to be operatedby mechanism located at the end of the car in position to be engaged and operatively moved by the plow. 1t is arranged that the doors will be released upon the entrance of a plow to the car, and in this way although the side doors of all the, cars may be simultaneously locked, the door unlocking operation of each car is effected separately and just when that particular ear is to be plowed off.

For convenience the branch pipe 19 is connected to train pipe 17 near the end of the ear, such pipe 19 having valve 22 set therein near the point of connection with the-train pipe and-adapted to control the supply of fluid pressure to both cylinders. The spindle of the valve has a handle thereon which is operatively connected to a member projecting into the car, adapted to be engagedbythe plow, as the latter enters the car, and operate the valve.

In the preferred construction the valve is adapted to be automatically operated from either side of the car, the spindle of the valve having a double handle 23 attached between its ends thereto, to the ends of which hand-lelinks 2% are connected and extend outwardly in opposite directions respectively, through the sides of the car which are slotted at 25 for this purpose, the outer end of each link being attached to the lower end of a vertical arm 26 carried by the free end of a member 27 hinged at 28 near the end of the car and located in an aperture 29 formed in one of the end'side stakes.

Each member 27 is preferably in the form of a segmental block which snugly fills the aperture 29 and prevents leakage of material at this point, one corner of such block being hinged near the outer edge of the end stake, normally extending diagonally inwardly of the car and being yieldingly held in such position by a spring 29 encircling a bolt 30 which passes through a slot 31 in a lip 32 presented by the block, such lip extending beyond the edge of the aperture 29 and overlapping the outer side of the end stake Spring 29 bears'between the lip and'a washer 32 upon the outer end of bolt 30 and yieldingly maintains the block projecting inwardly of the car,-the engagement of the inner side of the lip with the stake limiting inward movement or the block.

Prior to the entrance of a plow to acar pipe 16 is disconnected from its reservoir and being thus brought into communication with the atmosphere therefore permits the-- elil'laust'oi the fluid pressure from the inner ends of the cylinders so-that when a plow enters a car and engages one of the segmental blocks, such block is swung outwardly and moves the link 24 connected thereto outwardly to open valve 22 and in this way, upon the entrance of the plow into the car, the valve is automatically opened, fluid pressure admitted to the outer ends of .5 the cylinders and the side doors automatically released while the initial impact of the plow with the car is cushioned by the yielding resistance of spring 29 to the outward movement of the block.

hen the plow in-passing'into the "car, disengages from the block the latteris returned to its normal position by spring 29 and the valve automatically closed by a spring attached at its ends respectively 105 to the valve handle and the car body. In order to provide an-exhaust from the outer ends of the cylinders'l provide valve 22 as a three-way valve so that when such valve closes the communication between the cylin- 110 ders and supply pipe 17, the cylinders will be through pipes 19 and 20 opened to the atmosphere, this exhaust being indicated at 22.

lVhile the blocks at both sides of the car 115 may be engaged at the same time and the valve operated, it is preferred to have the operating mechanisms independent that is to say so arranged that the operation of one at one side of the car will not eflect the op- 120 oration oi the other and entail unnecessarystrain. With'this object in view the links 24 are attached to the valve handle 23 by pin and slot connections 34 so that when one link attached to one end of the handle 125 is operated to move the latter the corresponding movement of the other end'of the handle is accommodated by the slotted connection therebetween .and the other" link without moving the latter.'

From theabove it will be seen that the hinged block at each side of the car is operatively connected to the controlling valve 22 and as the latter controls the supply of fluid pressure to both cylinders the automatic release of the doors at both sides of the car will be efiected irrespective of which hinged block is engaged although cut-out valves 35 are set in pipes 16, 18, 19 and 20 to enable the cylinder at either side of the car to be cut off from the fluid pressure supply so that when desired the doors at one side of the car only can be operated.

A modified form of the invention wherein the fluid pressure system is dispensed with is shown in Fig. wherein each of the shafts 12, instead of being connected to a cylinder piston, has a lever 36 at one end, such lever extending upwardly and outwardly from the shaft to a point above the floor level where it is adapted to be engaged by a plow entering the car. Such engagement swings the lever outwardly and so rotates its respective shaft 12, lowers the locking shaft 9 connected thereto and thus automatically releases the doors.

The door locking mechanism is protected against any damage which might result from its exposure to the discharging material, the operating shaft 12, air cylinder and connections all being located beneath the floor of the car while the shaft 9, when brought to its lower position to release the doors, assumes a position beneath a portion or strip 37 which preferably forms a continuation of the inclined floor portion 8 and is disposed longitudinally of and secured to the side sill at 38, extending outwardly therefrom and being inclined downwardly from the side sill to form a hood beneath which the shaft 9 lies when the doors are open, such shaft being thus out of the path of the discharging material.

What I claim is as follows:

1, In a car, a floor, a side door, a locking shaft for locking the door in closed position and a hood beneath which such shaft is adapted to move when the door is released.

2. In a car, a floor, a side door, a hood, a locking shaft which is at times uncovered by the hood and adapted to lock the door in closed position, such shaft being adapted to move to a position beneath the hood when the door is released.

3. In a car, a floor, a side door and means for locking the door in closed position including an operating shaft beneath the floor, an arm extending outwardly through the car side and a locking shaft carried by the outer end of said arm.

a. In a car, the underframe including a side sill, stakes secured to the underframe, a door supported between the stakes, a floor upon the underframe and spaced from the sides thereof, a side fioor portion inclined downwardly toward and secured to the side sill and having its lower edge projecting outwardly from the side sill and a shaft for locking the side door in closed position and adapted to assume a position beneath the projecting edge of the side floor margin when the door is released.

In a car, the underframe including a side sill, stakes secured to the underframe, a door supported between the stakes, a lioor upon the underframe and spaced from the sides thereof, a side floor portion inclined downwardly toward and secured to the side sill and operating means beneath the inclined side floor portion for locking the door in closed position.

In a car, the underframe, stakes secured to the underframe, a longitudinally disposed vertical gusset located between and secured to the underframe and each stake, slots in said gussets, a side door suppol ted between the stakes and means for locking the door in closed position including an operating shaft located on the inside of the gussets, arms mounted upon the operating shaft and extending outwardly through said slots and a locking shaft carried by the outer end of the arms.

7. In a car, the underframe, stakes secured to the underframe and having their outer sides tapered near the bottom, alongitudinally disposed vertical gusset located between and secured to the underframe and one of said stakes, a slot in said gusset, a side door supported between the stakes and means for locking the door in closed position including an arm extending outwardly through said slot and a locking shaft carried by the outer end of the arm and located on the outside of the stake.

8. In a car, the underframe, stakes secured to the underframe and having their outer sides tapered near the bottom, a longitudinally disposed vertical gusset located between and secured to the underframe and one of said stakes, a slot insaid gusset, a side door supported between the stakes and means for locking the door in closed position including an operating shaft located on the inside of the gusset, an arm mounted upon the operating shaft and extending outwardly through said slot and a locking shaft carried by the outer end of the arm and located on the outside of the stake.

9. In a car adapted to have a plow passed therethrough, a side door, locking means for the side door, such locking means being operated by a fluid pressure.

10. In a car, the underframe including a side sill, stakes secured to the underframe, a door supported between the stakes, a portion inclined downwardly and outwardly from the side sill and operating means beneath the inclined portion for locking the door in closed position.

11.. Ina car, a floor, a dump door and; means for locking the door lIlClOSBd posi.,

tion, including an arm extendingoutwardly through the car side and a door locking.

shaft carried by said arm.

12. In a car adapted to have a plow passed therethrough, meansfor cushioning the ini-,v

tial impact of the plow with they side of the car.

13..-In a car adapted to have a plow passed 22. In a caradaptedtoha e a plow passed therethrougha;dump, doors; mechanism at eachqside of; thelcarnfor locking the doors-- and means:v for automatically, releasingsthe:

door: locking .mechanism. simultaneously at both sides of-. the car. 23j.'jIn a car adapted to have-a plow passed therethrough,, a spring controlled zblock set;

in the car side and-adapted to cushion the? impact of the. plow with they car.

14. In a car, the underframe; including a side sill, stakessecured to the unde'rframe,: a door supported between'the stakes,.a por-;

tion inclined outwardly fromthe car side and a shaft for locking the side door in closed position and adapted to assume a potherethrough,-1a dump door; for the, car, mechanism, for. looking the; door and means releasing :-;the :door; docking gmecha-nism, the mechanisnrat: one: side. of: the-car operating g independently. inf-the. ZITLBZl-HS at gthe other f sidegofithe-car.

24.7111 1 a car, the 'underframe, stakes ose-1 cured toithe underframe, a longitudinally disposed vertical gusset located between and secured to thesunderframe and each stake,

sition beneath said inclinedportionwhen;

the. door is released.

15. In a car adapted to have a plow passed therethrough, a dump door, locking mechaa. nlsm for the dump door and means forautomaticallyv releasing said locking. mechs anism.

16. In a car adapted to have a plow passed therethrough, a dump door, and locking mechanism for the dump door, such mechanism being adapted to be automatically, releasedby the plow.

'17 In a car adapted to have a plow'passed therethrough, a dump door, mechanism for slots in said -;gussets,a side door supported between the stakes, means for locking the door in closed position including an operating shaft located on theinside of the gusy sets,- arms mounted upon the operating shaft and extendingoutwardly through said slots, a locking shaft carried by the outer ends of the arms and means for automatically operating the doorlocking means to release the doors.

25. In a car adapted .to havea plow passed therethrough,a stake, a side door, means for locking the side door and means for releasing th door including a member hinged atone end to the. stake, extending into the,

locking the door, a fluid pressure system for 0 j locking means.

operating the locking mechanism and means for automatically controlling .the fluid pres:

sure system.

v18. In a car adapted to have a plow passed therethrough, dump doors, mechanism for locking the doors, and means for automatically releasing the locking mechanism-,cim

eluding a member adapted to be engaged by a plow.

19. In a car adapted to have a plow passed therethrough, dump doors, mechanism for locking the doors, a fluid pressure system; for operating the lockmg mechanism, a,

valve controlling the fluid pressure, a member projecting into the car and adapted to be engaged by a plow, such member being operatively connected to said valve.

20. In a car adapted to have a plow passed therethrough, dump doors, mechanism for locking the doors, a fluid pressure system ,for operating the locking mechanism, a

valve controlling the fluid pressure, a spring controlled member projecting into the car and adapted to be engaged by a plow, such member being operatively connected to said valve.

21. In a car adapted to have a plow passed therethrough, dump doors, mechanism for locking the doors, and means for. releasing th lockingmechanism. such means being adapted to be operated by a plow.

car and operatively connected to the door 26.. In a car adapted to, have a plow passed therethrough, corner stakes, side doors, means for locking the doors including a fluid pressure system,yalves controlling the fluid pressure and members pivoted to the stakes, projecting into the car and operatively connected to said valves.

27. In a car adapted to have a plow passed therethrough, corner stakes, side doors, lockingmech'anism for the side doors including anroperating shaft beneath the car, arms therethrough, corner'stakes, side doors, lock- 7 ing mechanism for the doors consisting of an'operating shaft at each side of the car, arms upon and extendingoutwardly from each shaft, locking shafts carried by the outer ends of the arms, cylinders, pistons withinathe ,cylindersand respectively cone nected to the operating shafts and adapted to operate same to move the locking shafts, a fluid pressure supply pipe connected to one end of each cylinder and adapted to operat the pistons to lock the doors, a second fluid pressure supply pipe connected to the opposite end of each cylinder and adapted to operate the pistons to release the doors, valves controlling the fluid pressur supply from said second pipe and members pivoted to the stakes, projecting into the car and being respectively operatively connected to one of said valves.

29. In a car adapted to have a plow passed therethrough, dump doors at both sides of the car, locking mechanism at each side of the car, for said doors, a fluid pressure system including sections for operating the mechanisms at both sides of the car, to release said doors, means for automatically controlling said fluid pressure system and cut-out valves for cutting ofi either section of the fluid pressure system.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE BINET DOREY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents, Washington, D. G. 

